Sage
Part: aerial parts during budding (whole plant above ground), *leaves can just be used for ease of collection rather than whole plant
Scientific name: Salvia officinalis
Energy: drying and warming
Taste: aromatic and pungent
Western herbalism: Lamiaceae family (mint family), contains essential oils (main: cis-thujone at 17.4%), carminative, astringing and antibacterial (specifically towards Strep. and Staph. bacterial strains)
Main uses: helps with poor peripheral circulation, reduces perspiration (i.e. hot flashes, night sweats) due to circulation issues, can be used for gastric distress (i.e. gas and burping) and diarrhea, a mouth wash can be used for gum and throat sores/irritations
*from experience with use by others and myself, sage tea can is helpful for menstrual cramps in moderate doses ( but can increase bleeding during menses if used in excess)
2017 study on Salvia officinalis, findings include anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antimutagenic, antidementia, hypoglycemic, and hypolipidemic effects (Ghorbani A, and Mahdi E, 2017).
Our review shows that S. officinalis and S. lavandulaefolia exert beneficial effects by enhancing cognitive performance both in healthy subjects and patients with dementia or cognitive impairment and is safe for this indication (Miroddi M1, Navarra M, Quattropani MC, Calapai F, Gangemi S, Calapai G. 2014).
Cautions: should not take when pregnant, as sage increases uterine circulation (emmenagogue and abortifacient actions), may also reduce lactation
Preparation and dosage: Tea- 1 cup boiled water to 1tsp leaves, Tincture (dry leaf)- between 10 and 40 drops 1 to 4 times /day
*Always consult a qualified health professional before using herbal medicine, especially in conjunction with pharmaceuticals in therapeutic doses above those found in food amounts*
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References:
Ref 1: (Ghorbani, Ahmad, and Mahdi Esmaeilizadeh. “Pharmacological properties of Salvia officinalis and its components, Journal of traditional and complementary medicine vol. 7,4 433-440. 13 Jan. 2017, doi:10.1016/j.jtcme.2016.12.014)
Ref 2: (Miroddi M1, Navarra M, Quattropani MC, Calapai F, Gangemi S, Calapai G., Systematic review of clinical trials assessing pharmacological properties of Salvia species on memory, cognitive impairment and Alzheimer\’s disease, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy, CNS Neurosci Ther. 2014 Jun;20(6):485-95. doi: 10.1111/cns.12270. Epub 2014 Apr 10.